Are Tendulkar and Ponting done? Is it time to call it a day?

[grecian]

49 average for the last year, still no likely replacements, and brilliant domestic form, still don't see punter going for a while.

[Briony]

Originally Posted by grecian

49 average for the last year, still no likely replacements, and brilliant domestic form, still don't see punter going for a while.

But in his last nine tests against SA and England he's averaged under fifteen. That will be playing on the selectors' minds with the Ashes ahead. Surely Hughes making a ton does put some pressure on him.

[Briony]

Originally Posted by Viscount Tom

If he does go Clarke has to move up the order he's improved a lot as a batsman over the past 2 years his record at #4 is iffy more because he lost form than lack of ability you cannot keep debuting people at #3 against good attacks and expect them to do well from the get go.

It might have worked when Shield cricket was of a really high standard but at the moment it's nowhere near as high as it was say 6-7 years ago.

Agree because it's generally depleted but surely that also weakens Punter's case to an extent to. His form in the test arena should become the selection imperative.

[Ruckus]

Btw interesting stat:

Ponting's average is now the lowest is has been in over 8 years.

[Viscount Tom]

Originally Posted by Briony

Agree because it's generally depleted but surely that also weakens Punter's case to an extent to. His form in the test arena should become the selection imperative.

Yeah thats an issue as well and for all the international quality of the bowling attack in that match against Victoria there are a few things to consider.

1) It was against Victoria apparently Victoria has too many victorians in its side.

2) They spent about 9 hours trying to bounce him out once he was set.

3) They probably wanted to see the pull shot and that's why they bounced him, everyone knows Saffers have no concept of style when batting (see Smith, Virus, Flag)

[Briony]

Originally Posted by Viscount Tom

Yeah thats an issue as well and for all the international quality of the bowling attack in that match against Victoria there are a few things to consider.

1) It was against Victoria apparently Victoria has too many victorians in its side.

2) They spent about 9 hours trying to bounce him out once he was set.

3) They probably wanted to see the pull shot and that's why they bounced him, everyone knows Saffers have no concept of style when batting (see Smith, Virus, Flag)

Who is Flag?

[Viscount Tom]

Refering to the lack of style in their Flag so dull.

[centurymaker]

Originally Posted by Viscount Tom

Yeah thats an issue as well and for all the international quality of the bowling attack in that match against Victoria there are a few things to consider.

1) It was against Victoria apparently Victoria has too many victorians in its side.

2) They spent about 9 hours trying to bounce him out once he was set.

3) They probably wanted to see the pull shot and that's why they bounced him, everyone knows Saffers have no concept of style when batting (see Smith, Virus, Flag)

thats true. i read somewhere that they'd spent the entire time bowling short balls at him and didn't have a deep square leg to get him caught at the boundary IIRC.

[Pup Clarke]

I'm worried about Punter specifically looking at his dismissal yesterday. Nothing ball and he just tentatively hung the bat out.

[harsh.skm]

Originally Posted by Cevno

Same was said with respect to Dravid and Laxman. Raina and Yuvraj were alternating for the 6th spot even then undeservingly....

And now that both Dravid and Laxman have been replaced by reasonably good upcoming batsmen, Raina and Yuvraj are still in the team when the likes of Rahane, Badri and even Mukund/Rohit Sharma should be ahead of them like before Pujara/Kohli should have been.


I am not sure Sachin should retire yet, but don't buy this argument tbh.

With respect to the pegging order, I agree that both Yuvraj and Raina should be below Rohit, Badri and Rahane, because they have too many technical shortcomings at present while with the others, it is more of a temperamental/exposure issue, which can only be resolved with more international experience.

[Viscount Tom]

Raina's talented, he just doesn't know how to bat on good cricket wickets. Could do with playing grade cricket or something just to get some exposure and build up a technique against prolonged bounce.

[Trichromatic]

Originally Posted by Ruckus

Btw interesting stat:

Ponting's average is now the lowest is has been in over 8 years.

39 in last 50 tests

[Satyanash89]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

He should have been dropped back then. He was a liability in the side. I care about winning.

Thank god you're not a selector, because thats just short-sighted BS. If your only aim as a selector is to "win the next match" as you put it, then its a massive fail. You cant just drop proven performers immediately when they have a slump because you know they can turn it around and win you more games once they get back into form.
Guys whove proven their greatness at the highest level deserve to get a gew more chances than merely average players like Ganguly. Dunno why this is hard to grasp.

Now though its a very different picture compared to 2006, coz he's having a number of technical issues, and mentally he looks shot. Would still be silly to completely write off champions like him though... you never, ever know

[TumTum]

Yes

[8ankitj]

Originally Posted by archie mac

The same goes for bowlers; I imagine Lillee's average went up towards the end not to mention two years to WSC.

Not true. I posted this before. Lillee never quite had a peak period like some of his other contemporaries